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Modification of tonotopic representation in the auditory system during development
1Laboratorie de Neurobiologie, Université Blaise Pascal-Clermont II, Aubière, France.
Progress in Neurobiology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Auditory system development shows a frequency shift in both birds and mammals. This tonotopic shift in the peripheral and central auditory systems impacts auditory behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory System Development
- Comparative Biology
Background:
- Immature auditory systems in birds and mammals process low-mid frequencies.
- This contrasts with adult systems where basal cochlear regions code high frequencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Reconcile functional and anatomical observations of auditory system development.
- Investigate the tonotopic shift phenomenon in peripheral and central auditory pathways.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing hypotheses on the development of the place principle.
- Analysis of auditory nerve fiber recordings in kittens.
- Examination of tonotopic maps in auditory nuclei and the cortex.
Main Results:
- A tonotopic shift during development is a well-established phenomenon in birds and mammals.
- Central auditory system tonotopic shifts mirror peripheral system changes.
- Simultaneous onset of tonotopic maps observed across auditory nuclei up to the cortex.
Conclusions:
- A synthetic theory involving active and passive cochlear processes may explain the tonotopic shift.
- Changes in cochlear frequency representation affect the central auditory pathway.
- The tonotopic shift has potential consequences for auditory behavior.